The course of HIV infection in babies and children is different to that in adults, and it is important that the monitoring, care and treatment of your child is provided by doctors and other staff at a specialist clinic skilled in looking after young people with HIV.

Babies infected with HIV can experience much faster disease progression than adults, and without treatment many will become very ill and have a high risk of dying within the first few years of life.

HIV-positive children may have a slower rate of growth, and may become sexually mature at a later age.